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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. bank — of a river
  3. season — of the year
  4. bank — for money
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bank — for money
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. capital — a city
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. deal — to handle
  11. fall — to drop
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. game — a match
  19. fall — the season
  20. season — in sport
  21. fall — to drop
  22. capital — money
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. deal — a big deal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com